March 19, 2002 Minutes
MINUTES of the MHNA GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING Tues. March 19, 2002 University Lutheran Church of Hope, 601 13th Ave SE
1. Meeting called to order at 8:10 PM by President Chris Wilson. The minutes of the Feb meeting were approved with the caveat that there is some question (from Council Member Ostrow) as to the opposition to the 7th Ave NE train station by the St. Anthony East neighborhood group.
2. Council Member Paul Zerby reported on city council activities. He sits on the Public Safety & Regulatory Committee that was considering reappointment of the Rental Licensing Board of Appeals. The board is to be made up of 3 rental property owners or realtors, 3 tenants or tenant advocates and 2 at large members. There is no one from the second ward on the board and our council member feels there should be. They only meet about four times a year for 2-4 hours and members receive a $50 stipend. Anyone interested should contact Gloria Janousek at 673-3358.
This week the Ways & Means Committee voted down $5 million for the Stone Arch Apartment site clean up, based on neighborhood opposition to the project. He is not sure how the vote will go on Friday. He is being lobbied for the project by the mayor’s office and suggests we make our feelings known to the new council and the new mayor. He has also heard opposition from Metalmatic. Board members Bob Distad and Chris Wilson and Council Member Zerby will be meeting with Council Member Ostrow to reiterate our reasons for opposition.
Redistricting was discussed. Every day there are new plans, but it is safe to say Marcy-Holmes will be changed. The optimal size of a ward is 29,000 and right now the second ward is 4,000 over. Council Member Zerby has heard there is a plan to move Marcy-Holmes out of the second ward and to have the whole neighborhood put into one ward, possibly the third (Joe Biernat). Note – Earlier tonight the MHNA board passed a motion to keep Marcy-Holmes together in one ward and to keep the three SE neighborhoods together in the same ward. Redistricting is final – there are no appeals. It is unknown if there will be another election after the city is redistricted. We will know Marcy-Holmes’ status by the end of April.
3. Joe Fusco introduced Brianne Dalnes, a CURA intern who is researching what other communities with large universities are doing to build better relationships with these institutions. We are hoping to use some of her research for the Master Plan. Brianne said she has gone to many websites and seen a lot of neighborhood quality of life issues covered, for example housing conditions, over-occupancy, litter and noise. She has noticed some instances of strong partnerships between neighborhoods and institutions and others are quite divisive. A website she recommends is collegetownissues. Brianne is about halfway finished with her research.
4. Ardes Johnson spoke about the city’s Citizen Inspection program, which the Livability Committee hopes to adopt. It takes about 15 volunteers for a successful run. They are trained by the city to spot code violations, notify owners and follow up. Violators who do not abate the conditions are reported to Inspections and these cases get priority treatment.
Intern Brianne Dalnes has been attending our Livability Committee meetings. Ardes reports that since October the committee has been tackling litter, garbage collection, lack of snow shoveling, and in general the difficulty of walking in the neighborhood. Inspector Chad Patrow and other city officials have offered support but these problems are really up to us to solve. The committee has written notes, door knocked, and come up with a letter to residents about the law and snow clearing and that has already made a big difference on 14th & 15th Ave SE. They have met with some property owners about problem properties and some have agreed to adopt litter containers. All this has been a good start, but not systematic. At their last meeting, a rep from Windom Park neighborhood talked to the group about the Citizens inspection Program. While we have a greater number of blocks than they do,
Inspection
it is possible to limit the program to an area, perhaps on the east side of the neighborhood. The volunteers’ inspections are ell external. And structural violations are sent directly to Chad. The costs of the program (mailing, printing) would have to come from the neighborhood association. Chris Wilson thanked the committee for their successes to date. Inspector Patrow said the Citizen inspections program doffers from our old Livability efforts because he can get involved sooner and there will be greater enforcement. People interested in the=is committee or program should call the office for more info.
Ardes also informed members that the Joan Leigh memorial bench will be installed in Father Hennepin Bluffs Park this summer. It will be located near the kiosk, close to the Stone Arch Bridge. We are hoping for a mid-June dedication. Joan Leigh was a tireless leader here and had much to do with the opening of the bridge. Donations in her memory were collected by MHNA to assist in the cost of the bench. Additional donations can be sent to the MHNA.
5. Misc – be watching for Community Garden news and Boulevard garden program info. We will be having another Plant Swap and Potluck this spring. Dave Polaschek informed us about the Crime Alert for theft from auto.
Meeting adjourned at 8:50 PM Melissa Bean., Staff